Zhang Xiang, Yu Jiajie, Xu Xiuyue, Zhang Baofeng, Huang Jiahuan, Liu Bo
School of Agriculture, Liaodong University, Dandong 118003, China.
Forestry College, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China.
Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Sep 1;26(17):8507. doi: 10.3390/ijms26178507.
Nuclear Factor Y C (NF-YC) transcription factors (TFs) are central regulators of plant development and stress adaptation. However, there remains a gap in identifying NF-YC gene family members in blueberry (), a globally significant fruit crop renowned for its nutritional value and good adaptability. In this study, a total of 31 genes (designated ) were identified in the blueberry genome, and their basic physicochemical properties, gene structures, motif patterns, and conserved domains were investigated using bioinformatic methods. The -acting elements in the promoters of s were mainly enriched in phytohormone signaling, metabolism, and stress response. qRT-PCR analysis showed that s were expressed at higher levels in leaves than in roots and stems. Transcriptional profiling revealed rapid upregulation of 24, 25, and 16 genes upon ABA, salt, and cold treatments, respectively, indicating stress-specific induction patterns. The results of the yeast transformation assay revealed that VcNF-YC10 and VcNF-YC15 lacked transcription-activating activity. The results of tobacco leaf injection revealed that these two TFs were localized in the nucleus. These findings indicate the potentially important roles in abiotic stress responses of blueberry, offering potential targets for molecular breeding to enhance plant resilience.
核因子Y C（NF-YC）转录因子是植物发育和胁迫适应性的核心调节因子。然而，在蓝莓（一种以其营养价值和良好适应性而闻名的全球重要水果作物）中鉴定NF-YC基因家族成员方面仍存在差距。在本研究中，在蓝莓基因组中总共鉴定出31个基因（命名为），并使用生物信息学方法研究了它们的基本理化性质、基因结构、基序模式和保守结构域。基因启动子中的顺式作用元件主要富集在植物激素信号传导、代谢和胁迫反应中。qRT-PCR分析表明，基因在叶片中的表达水平高于根和茎。转录谱分析显示，分别在脱落酸、盐和冷处理后，24、25和16个基因迅速上调，表明存在胁迫特异性诱导模式。酵母转化试验结果表明，VcNF-YC10和VcNF-YC15缺乏转录激活活性。烟草叶片注射结果表明，这两个转录因子定位于细胞核。这些发现表明在蓝莓非生物胁迫反应中具有潜在的重要作用，为分子育种提供了潜在靶点以增强植物的抗逆性。
